2008 Honda CBR600RR Shootout Photos

The 2008 Honda CBR600RR is our reigning Supersport Shootout champion for good reason: It simply rocks.

2008 Supersport Shootout - Honda CBR600RR

2008 Supersport Shootout - Honda CBR600RR

2008 Supersport Shootout - Honda CBR600RR

2008 Supersport Shootout - Honda CBR600RR

2008 Supersport Shootout - Honda CBR600RR

2008 Supersport Shootout - Honda CBR600RR

The Honda carries 28 fewer lbs than the Suzuki and as any racer is quick to point out low weight is like free horsepower.

This year Honda is defending the title with no significant updates and these days a motorcycle needs to be near perfection if it hopes to win two years in a row.

Donning his team Black Horse Honda leathers that he wore at the 2007 Isle of Man TT, Jimmy Moore was back on the Honda CBR600RR - the same machine with which he turned the famed TT circuit.

But not everyone is as enamored with the CBR as Jimmy. Waheed and Earnest both rate the Honda below the Suzuki and Yamaha on the scorecards and, in the end, that hurt the CBR on the track.

As the lightest bike in the test by 11 lbs less than the Triumph and 16 lbs under the R6, it starts to make sense why it feels so good.

Its hard-hitting power delivery combined with one of the test's best transmissions and Infineon-friendly gearing keep the Honda in the hunt on the track.

Our Superpole timed session allowed us to get back-to-back runs on every bike with new tires and the same amount of fuel in each bike.

Although down on horsepower and torque on the dyno graphs the Honda never suffered low subjective marks in the engine department, as it still feels like one of the strongest bikes in the group.

From the first moment we turned a lap on the CBR600RR we knew this bike was something special and the fact that it was able to come back and defend its title against new bikes and former class champions just goes to show how good the Honda really is.

At the track is where the Honda was pressured consistently by the improved versions of the R6 and GSX-R it made fodder of just a year ago.

It might not be the king of the track this year, but due to its stellar street scores the Honda CBR600RR beats of the new GSX-R for top honors in our sixth-annual Supersport Shootout.

Compared to the Yamaha the CBR power is at its best over a wide spread between 10- and 13-grand.

If the Honda is to pull off the double it will be a direct reflection of the all around goodness of the motorcycle.

Honda gets nipped by a fraction of a second to the quick GSX-R on Hutch's lap chart but it falls to fifth in Earnest's lap list, 1.5-seconds behind the R6 and GSX-R.

There is 45 lb-ft of torque peaking at 11,300 rpm but a look at the dyno graph shows that over 40 lb-ft is available from a wide spread of revs between 9 and 14 grand that give riders some wiggle room compared to the R6, which is victimized by its taller gearing and comparative lack of mid-range.

With 106.3 hp at 13,700 rpm it is one of the highest revving motors in the test coming up 3 hp shy of the R6 which peaks at 109.7 hp at 14,300 rpm

Honda held its own on the drag strip, second best to the Ducati.

The CBR is easy to ride because it feels familiar from the start and is a perfect blend of the best middleweight qualities including light weight, rider-friendly ergos and an overachieving motor.